


Respite

by chainsawdog



Series: Order Abandoned [2]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-03 04:55:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 10,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6597589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chainsawdog/pseuds/chainsawdog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anakin, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan have some time away from the war. This means shenanigans. </p><p>This story happens somewhere between Cloak of Darkness and Dooku Captured from season one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Anakin and Ahsoka sat together on a high wall that overlooked a garden in the Temple. Below, Obi-Wan practiced a lightsaber form, oblivious to their presence. Anakin had brought biscuits from the kitchen, and they were quietly enjoying the sweet snack and the moment of peace.  
  
“So,” said Ahsoka, her mouth full. She looked at Anakin, who was swinging his legs, one hand on the wall, the other holding his biscuit. He looked at her, raising an eyebrow.  
  
“So?” he repeated.  
  
“Are you waiting for the other shoe to drop, too?”  
  
Anakin frowned. “What do you mean?”  
  
Ahsoka wrinkled her nose, her mouth crooked. Looking down at Obi-Wan, she said, “Well… this seems too good to be true, you know?”  
  
Anakin nodded, his expression softening.  
  
“And… the war’s everywhere. On every planet in every system, from here to the Outer Rim. I’m… it’s not good, but I’m sort of waiting for it to reach Coruscant.” Ahsoka sighed. “I don’t want it to,” she clarified. “But… I just have this feeling. It’s going to.”  
  
Anakin looked away, frowning. “It can’t,” he said, softly. Ahsoka looked at him, her confusion clear on her face. He took a deep breath in, and when he let it out, he looked at her. “I won’t let it.”  
  
Ahsoka rolled her eyes, and flicked a biscuit crumb at him. “Anakin, if you could stop the war, it would be over already, wouldn’t it?”  
  
Anakin opened his mouth to reply, but Ahsoka held up a finger. He closed his mouth to let her continue. “And if you had control of where the war went, who it affected, well, same thing, right?”  
  
“Yes, but –”  
  
“Anakin, no buts,” Ahsoka said. She smiled. “You’re good at a lot of things, but you’re not… you’re just one person.”  
  
“Ahsoka –”  
  
“Nope, it’s my turn to talk,” she said. He pressed his lips together, and crossed his arms, but let her speak. “You always blame yourself for everything, and don’t say you don’t because I’ve seen you do it. Rex knows it, I know it, even some of the other Jedi have noticed it. I know Master Kenobi notices but he’s not going to say anything, is he? But you know what? Not everything is your fault! That’s not how it works. You’re kind, Anakin, but sometimes you’re really selfish.”  
  
“Ahsoka!” Anakin winced internally. He’d said her name harshly, although he hadn’t meant to. The look on her face made him soften his tone. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to snap.”  
  
Ahsoka groaned, and leaning back, swinging her legs. “I didn’t mean _selfish ___,” she said. “I mean, you get so… caught up in everything and then you think that you should be able to fix it all and –”  
  
“Ahsoka, you’re right,” Anakin interrupted. “I can be. Selfish, that is. You’re not the only person who’s told me.”  
  
“Oh, good,” Ahsoka grinned at him, and he rolled his eyes, a fond smile on his face.  
  
“I try… really hard not to be but it happens anyway,” Anakin sighed. “I want to be able to fix everything and I _know ___it’s not realistic but I want to anyway. I want Coruscant to always be safe and I want you to be safe and happy and… I want this war to end and I want… so many things that I can’t make happen.”  
  
“It’ll happen, Skyguy,” Ahsoka said. She squeezed his hand, then took another biscuit. “We can’t be at war forever, can we?”  
  
Anakin looked back down at Obi-Wan. “I hope not,” he said.  
  
They sat in silence a moment, eating and watching Obi-Wan. Then Ahsoka said, “Watch this.”  
  
Anakin looked at her, and she held out her hand, palm facing downwards. Closing her eyes, she made her hand into a fist, as though she was gripping the hilt of a ‘saber. Down below, Obi-Wan’s lightsaber switched off.  
  
Anakin stifled a laugh as Obi-Wan looked around, then hit the ‘saber with the heel of his palm. He switched the blade on again, and they watched him move back into position to continue his practice. Ahsoka gave him a few minutes before pulling her trick again, and this time Obi-Wan looked so confused that Anakin couldn’t contain his laughter. He was laughing so hard that he nearly fell off the wall. Obi-Wan looked up, noticing Ahsoka and Anakin for the first time, and put his hands on his hips.  
  
“Anakin,” he said, using his lecturing voice.  
  
“Are you having problems with your lightsaber, Obi-Wan?” Anakin tried to sound innocent and concerned, but couldn’t stop laughing. Ahsoka was laughing too, as Obi-Wan’s expression grew increasingly annoyed.  
  
“What do you think you’re doing?” Obi-Wan asked. He had to shout, but still managed to sound composed. “That’s no way to use the Force, Anakin. And in front of your Padawan! What sort of example are you setting?”  
  
Anakin had to clutch the wall to stop himself from falling. There were tears in his eyes, he was laughing so hard. “I didn’t do it!” he called down. “It was Ahsoka!”  
  
Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. “Blaming your Padawan? Anakin, I never thought you could sink so low.”  
  
Ahsoka yelped with laughter at that, and dropped her biscuit into the garden. “Oh, poodoo,” she said. Before Anakin could tell her off for swearing, she’d jumped from the wall. She landed lightly on the ground, and picked up her biscuit, brushing it off. Anakin sighed, rolled his eyes, then followed her. His descent was a little less graceful, as he landed heavily, leaving shallow dents in the grass.  
  
“Really, Anakin?” said Obi-Wan, coming over to them.  
  
“What?” Anakin asked, grinning.  
  
“How did you manage to turn my lightsaber off?”  
  
Anakin knew he was still in trouble, despite the curiosity in Obi-Wan’s voice.  
  
He put a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder, looked into his eyes, and said slowly, “It wasn’t me. It was Ahsoka. You should ask her.”  
  
Obi-Wan swatted Anakin’s hand away. “There’s no need to be rude.” He turned to Ahsoka, who grinned at Anakin. He pulled a face at her, behind Obi-Wan’s back, and she laughed.  
  
“Well, Ahsoka, if what Anakin says is true, I would like to know how you managed to do it.”  
  
“Oh, so if I’d done it I’d be in trouble, but Ahsoka does it and you want tips?” Anakin asked.  
  
“Ahsoka, I must ask you not to do it again,” said Obi-Wan, without looking at Anakin. “There. Now, if you tell me how you did it…”  
  
Anakin mimed slapping Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka rolled her eyes. Then she turned her attention to Obi-Wan.  
  
“It’s not easy,” she said. “But it’s just like turning off your own ‘saber, when you’re holding it. Only farther away and in someone else’s hand.”  
  
“Interesting,” said Obi-Wan. “And how did you develop this technique?”  
  
Ahsoka shrugged. “I was working on it with Barriss,” she said. “I thought it was pretty cool.”  
  
Anakin was now mimicking Obi-Wan’s movements, pretending to stroke his beard as Obi-Wan did the same. Ahsoka bit her lip to stop herself from laughing, and tried to attend to the conversation.  
  
“Walk me through it,” said Obi-Wan, and Anakin pulled a ‘serious’ face and mouthed the words as Obi-Wan spoke. “What gave you the idea?”  
  
“We thought it would be fun,” said Ahsoka. “I didn’t really think about it more than that.”  
  
“Anakin, I know you’re mocking me,” Obi-Wan didn’t turn around, but Anakin snapped to attention, putting his hands behind his back. Ahsoka grinned.  
  
“I would never,” Anakin said, stepping around Obi-Wan to look at him face-to-face. “How could you say that of me, Obi-Wan? Accuse _me_ of mocking _you_? Don’t you trust me?”  
  
Obi-Wan just stared at him, one eyebrow raised. Ahsoka giggled, trying not to laugh when Anakin shot her a look.  
  
“Anakin, I know you well enough to know that you were making fun of me.”  
  
“I’m injured, Obi-Wan, honestly,” Anakin said, but he couldn’t stop himself from grinning.  
  
Obi-Wan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Anakin…”  
  
“Oh come on, Obi-Wan,” Ahsoka said. “Lighten up.”  
  
Obi-Wan looked at her, shock clear on his face. Then he looked to Anakin, and said, “This is how you let your apprentice talk to her elders?”  
  
“Well, she talks to me like that, but I wouldn’t call myself an _elder ___,” Anakin said.  
  
“I would,” said Ahsoka. “You’re _super_ old.”  
  
“Hey!” said Anakin. “Well, if I’m old, that makes Obi-Wan ancient!”  
  
Ahsoka laughed. “Yeah, _obviously ___.”  
  
“And she’s right, too,” Anakin said, crossing his arms and looking Obi-Wan up and down. “You _do ___need to relax.”  
  
“And how to you propose I do _that ___, Anakin?”  
  
Anakin’s grin turned smug, and he took a step towards Obi-Wan.  
  
Ahsoka looked at them both and said, “Do you need me to leave?” She had a cheeky, knowing smile on her face. To their credit, neither of them looked too flustered.  
  
“Why would you need to leave, Snips?” Anakin asked, as Obi-Wan said, “Of course not.”  
  
Ahsoka took a bite of her biscuit, smirking at them. There was a moment of silence that was uncomfortable for Obi-Wan and Anakin, but Ahsoka was enjoying herself.  
  
“Should you be eating that?” Obi-Wan asked. “It _was ___on the ground.”  
  
“Nice subject change,” Anakin muttered. Neither of them paid him any attention.  
  
Ahsoka shrugged, looking at the biscuit. “It’s clean.”  
  
“Where did you even get those?”  
  
Anakin smiled. “Kitchen,” he said.  
  
“You know how I feel about you bothering the cooks,” Obi-Wan said, frowning.  
  
“They don’t mind,” Ahsoka said. “Me and Anakin visit them a lot.”  
  
“Yes,” said Obi-Wan. “I know. You’re really not setting the best example, Anakin.”  
  
Anakin flapped his hand dismissively. “Snips is fine. Plus, the cooks like me. They think I’m charming.”  
  
“I wouldn’t use that word,” Obi-Wan said wryly.  
  
Anakin grinned. “What word would you use? Handsome? Brave? Clever?”  
  
“Big-headed?” Ahsoka suggested. “Stubborn?”  
  
“Short-tempered?” Obi-Wan said. “Egotistical?”  
  
“Oh come on, Obi-Wan, that was low,” said Anakin. “You don’t have to be rude about it.”  
  
“And we all know you think he’s handsome, Master Kenobi,” Ahsoka said, with a mischievous grin. Obi-Wan looked at her, and her grin grew wider, as she put her arms behind her back and tried to look innocent.  
  
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” said Obi-Wan.  
  
Anakin raised his eyebrows, looking at Obi-Wan, who refused to make eye contact with him.  
  
“You think I’m handsome?” Anakin smiled smugly. “Obi-Wan, why didn’t you tell me?”  
  
“Anakin,” there was a half-hearted warning in Obi-Wan’s tone, which Anakin chose to ignore.  
  
“Are you sure you don’t need me to leave?” Ahsoka asked, trying not to laugh.  
  
“Ahsoka, you’re being rude,” Obi-Wan chided her, and looked to Anakin for support. Anakin was laughing, however, and had moved closer to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan cleared his throat and looked away as Anakin smirked at him, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Ahsoka couldn’t help herself; she laughed. “I knew it!”  
  
“Anakin, control your Padawan,” Obi-Wan said, still avoiding Anakin’s eyes.  
  
“Obi-Wan, she’s just kidding around,” Anakin said, with a smile at Ahsoka.  
  
“She’s out of line, Anakin. She shouldn’t talk to us like that.”  
  
Anakin looked at Ahsoka, and said, “Maybe you should go, Snips. You shouldn’t have to listen to this.”  
  
Ahsoka shook her head. “No,” she said. “Go on, _Master ___Kenobi. Tell me more.” Crossing her arms, she stared Obi-Wan down. “I was just joking, you know. I’m sorry if I upset you, but I’d like you to at least talk to me like I was here.”  
  
Obi-Wan had the decency to look abashed, and surprised both Anakin and Ahsoka when he said, “I’m sorry, Ahsoka. You made me uncomfortable.”  
  
Anakin, eyes wide, looked from Ahsoka to Obi-Wan. Then, “Master… are you feeling all right?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“You just apologised to Ahsoka.”  
  
“And?”  
  
Anakin and Ahsoka shared a look.  
  
“Anakin, now you’re the one being rude,” Obi-Wan said.  
  
“Well, yeah,” said Anakin. “But you almost never apologise, you realise that, right?”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
Again, Anakin looked at Ahsoka, who shrugged.  
  
“Obi-Wan, I can probably count the number of times you’ve apologised to me on one hand,” he said.  
  
“That’s an exaggeration, Anakin,” Obi-Wan replied, frowning.  
  
“I really don’t think it is,” said Ahsoka. When Obi-Wan turned his glare on her, she smiled, putting her hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay, this is between you and Anakin.” She didn’t walk away, however, but put her hands behind her back to watch them argue.  
  
“You really think that of me?” Obi-Wan looked at Anakin, concern on his face.  
  
Anakin smiled wryly. “Yeah,” he said. “You haven’t proven me wrong yet.”  
  
They stopped talking as Master Luminara walked past, with her apprentice Barriss Offee. Barriss gave small smile and waved at Ahsoka, who waved back. “I’m… gonna go catch up with Barriss,” she said, and took the chance to run off.  
  
Anakin crossed his arms, and said to Obi-Wan, “Look what you did.”  
  
“Me?” Obi-Wan snapped. “You’re the one who started the argument!”  
  
“Play nice!” Ahsoka called over her shoulder, as she caught up with Barriss and Luminara.  
  
“What’s wrong with those two now?” Barriss asked.  
  
Ahsoka grinned, “Oh, the usual,” she replied. “What are you up to?”  
  
“Master Luminara is going to speak with Master Che,” Barriss said. “I’m going with her. We might be leaving Coruscant soon to help on the front lines. They need healers.”  
  
“You mind if I tag along?”  
  
Barriss shook her head. “I’m sure it’s fine,” she said. “Master?”  
  
Luminara glanced at her Padawan and Ahsoka. “Yes, okay,” she said. “Just keep up. Master Che says this is of the utmost importance.”  
  
“Isn’t everything?” Ahsoka muttered, her voice quiet enough that Luminara didn’t hear her. Barriss did, and put a hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh. She nodded at Ahsoka in agreement.  
  
The three of them headed off into the Temple to meet with Vokara Che.


	2. Chapter 2

Ahsoka was bored senseless. Barriss and Luminara had been shipped off to some backwater planet in the Outer Rim, to assist the many injured soldiers and refugees, but Ahsoka was still on leave with Anakin and Obi-Wan. Those two had disappeared to Force knew where (well, Ahsoka knew – Padmé was back on Coruscant). Padmé had told Ahsoka that she was busy, unable to spend time with Ahsoka. Then Anakin and Obi-Wan had vanished. Ahsoka knew very well where the three of them were.  
  
She was wandering around the Temple, looking for something to do. If she asked another Jedi, especially a Master like Jocasta Nu, she’d be set to a task she really wouldn’t enjoy. That librarian had a way of making potentially entertaining tasks boring.

Ahsoka paused, stopping in her tracks. In her mind, she listed some of the things she could do:

1\. See if Riyo Chuchi was around, then spend time with her (although she was a Senator and probably had Important Senate Business to take care of, so that could fall through).

2\. Find Rex and make him play Sabacc with her (she was really good, she could beat most of the clone troopers – but Rex was probably busy).

3\. Try to climb to the top of the Temple from the outside (although last time she’d tried that Master Yoda had told her off, lecturing her for over an hour, and then Master Kenobi had added his thoughts to the matter, which had been no fun at all).

4\. Or – and this plan was tempting – venture out into the Undercity of Coruscant. It had been a while since she’d been down there, and it would be her first time without an escort.

In the end, she decided to slip out of the Temple and visit the Undercity. It wasn’t difficult – Jedi came and went all the time, it was just that she knew both Obi-Wan and Anakin would disapprove. Well, Obi-Wan would disapprove. Anakin would pretend to.

She borrowed a speeder from the Temple’s dock. It was Anakin’s favourite speeder, and Ahsoka enjoyed flying it. Anakin had modified it – he wasn’t supposed to tinker with these things, but of course he did.

She sped off, smoothly joining the skyways of Coruscant.

Ahsoka loved flying. She thought it was amusing that Obi-Wan hated it so much, and credited it to Anakin’s… unconventional techniques. Although, Obi-Wan seemed to have a slight fear of heights, too. Even if he had jumped out a window to catch a ride on a probe droid. Ahsoka had barely believed that story when Anakin had told her. He tended to exaggerate when he told stories, especially about Obi-Wan. According to Padmé, however, Anakin had told the truth.

It was wonderfully freeing, being able to fly the skyways alone. Sure, it could end badly, but what didn’t? Ahsoka needed something to keep her mind off the war. She was always thinking about it. She had nightmares about the battles they had lost. Each death of each clone she knew had hurt her personally, as if she had died a hundred times over. The Jedi preached detachment, but how could she separate herself from her friends?

She had nightmares, too, of losing Anakin. Losing Barriss, Plo, Obi-Wan, Padmé, Rex, Riyo – the list went on. Every other night it seemed like she had a bad dream, waking from her sleep shaking, wanting to scream or cry. After every nightmare she desperately wanted to call on Padmé, or go to Obi-Wan or Anakin’s quarters in the Temple and sleep near them, just to feel safe. In her mind, however, this was a weakness. A display of emotions unbefitting of a Jedi.

Also, Anakin’s rooms were notoriously messy. To leave the Temple to visit Padmé would arouse suspicion. Obi-Wan’s rooms were the polar opposite of Anakin’s and he hated anything being out of place. Ahsoka _tried_ to keep from making a mess, but it was so easy to pick something up and put it back wrong.

Shaking her head to clear it of negative thoughts, Ahsoka focused on the moment. Flying was something that took all her concentration – especially on Coruscant, where there were so many awful pilots. She turned on the radio, and tuned into her favourite station. It was a Togruta-run station, and it played tunes and songs from her home world, Shili. The music sometimes stirred something akin to a memory, but she had been so young when she’d been taken from her family that she couldn’t get a clear picture of them. Sometimes she wondered if that were a curse or a blessing.

Sometimes she wanted to find her family.

“Guh!” she said, smacking the heel of her palm into her forehead. “Stop thinking!” That never worked, but she still tried.

She guided her speeder carefully, dropping down lane by lane until she was above one of the many entrances to the Undercity. In one of the bays, she parked, making sure that it the speeder secure. The Undercity was full of criminals, who wouldn’t hesitate to steal a speeder, even one that was obviously from the Jedi Temple. Then she strolled off, walking confidently towards an unknown destination. The city was hers to explore, and she was going to take full advantage of the fact no one was there to supervise her.


	3. Chapter 3

Padmé, Anakin, and Obi-Wan were walking, arm in arm, through the streets of the Undercity. They were dressed as inconspicuously three famous faces could be dressed. It was nice that in the Undercity, most people didn’t seem to care who they were.  
  
In the Undercity, they could go for lunch or dinner – although they did have to settle for bars and cantinas where 90% of the patrons were criminals – without being noticed. The criminal population didn’t bother Anakin or Padmé, but the first few times they had gone out Obi-Wan had seemed out of place. Of course, that meant Anakin had another thing to tease Obi-Wan about. Padmé had joined in, although she knew when to stop.  
  
The teasing had stopped when Obi-Wan had drunk a Wookie under the table.  
  
Anakin halted. Padmé and Obi-Wan stopped a moment later, caught on his arms. Shaking free of them, Anakin frowned, then pointed to one of the speeder bays a level above them. “That’s my speeder!” he said.  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head. “Anakin, Jedi don’t _have_ possessions.” He looked upwards, following Anakin’s finger, and added, “Although, that _does_ look like one of the Temple’s speeders.”  
  
Anakin smacked him on the shoulder with the back of his hand. Padmé covered her mouth as she laughed.  
  
“Semantics, Obi-Wan,” Anakin said. “Besides, we both have possessions, don’t we?” Here he grinned, as Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow in question. “Or I do, at least,” he added quietly.  
  
Padmé sighed, and rolled her eyes. “Ani, even if it is your favourite speeder –”  
  
“Which it is,” Anakin interrupted.  
  
“Other Jedi are going to use it,” she continued, ignoring Anakin’s interruption.  
  
Anakin smiled at her. “Well, why would any Jedi come down here?”  
  
Obi-Wan sighed. “We’re Jedi, Anakin.”  
  
Padmé laughed again, and took Anakin’s hand in hers. “Come on,” she took Obi-Wan’s hand as well, and set off, pulling them along. “It doesn’t matter why your favourite speeder is down here, Ani. We have _other things_ to focus on.”  
  
Anakin grinned at Obi-Wan, who sighed and smiled fondly at him. They followed Padmé, heading towards one of the less seedy diners of the Undercity.


	4. Chapter 4

Ahsoka wasn’t _lost_ , exactly. That would imply she knew where she was going in the first place. Of course, she knew where she was – it was just that everything else was in the wrong place. The Undercity was a warren of neon lights and dark alleyways, and no one had ever told Ahsoka how to navigate it. So it wasn’t her fault, really.  
  
Ahsoka stopped, moving off the street to lean against a wall. Crossing her arms, she scanned the crowd. There were a few Togruta, which made her smile. The Jedi were her family, sort of, but it was nice to see her people sometimes.  
  
As she watched, three children ran past her – a Tholothian, a Besalisk and a Twi’lek. Judging by the dirt on their skin and the quality of their clothes it was likely they lived down here. Ahsoka scowled. Even on Coruscant – the heart of the Republic, the home of the Jedi – there was poverty.  
  
She sighed. Scanning the buildings, she tried to find somewhere she could go. Bars and cantinas in the Undercity didn’t seem to care about the age of their patrons, but she didn’t want to go to the worst possible bar. Although, she was kind of tempted to see if she could find the worst possible place, just to find out what it was like.  
  
After weighing her options, Ahsoka decided it would be easiest if she just went into the first bar she passed. She joined the crowd once more and walked along the streets of the Undercity, taking in the sights.  
  
There was a homeless Gotal, sitting on the side of the street, holding out a pan for coin or credits. Ahsoka felt bad she didn’t have anything to give them. Further along, there were two drunk Weequay, who were either fighting or kissing. The shouting and their erratic movements made it hard to tell. They had been removed from a bar by the Wookie bouncer, who was watching them with her arms crossed.  
  
Ahsoka ducked past them to enter the bar. In the back corner was a Bith band, playing an upbeat tune. Ahsoka took a seat in one of the booths and looked around. There wasn’t much she could do in here, unless she wanted to use mind-tricks to get a drink.  
  
Surely there was some way she could entertain herself. She wasn’t going to slink back to the Temple in defeat.  
  
“… three Togrutas to the Zygerrians yesterday,” she heard someone say. Looking around, she spied a Trandoshan sitting at the bar, talking to a Bothan. Ahsoka stood, walking nonchalantly over to the bar. She took a seat nearby, listening. The Bothan sipped her drink as the Trandoshan continued.  
  
“Made a good profit,” the Trandoshan said. “Togruta, Twi’lek and humans. That’s where the money lies.”  
  
Ahsoka frowned. As the Trandoshan raised the drink to his lips, Ahsoka twitched her fingers. He missed his mouth completely, pouring his drink down his shirt. The Bothan laughed.  
  
The Trandoshan glared, but ordered another drink. Wiping his shirt with a napkin, he continued to brag about how much money he was making in the slave trade. Ahsoka let him take one sip of his drink before moving her hand again, so that the Trandoshan threw his drink in the Bothan’s face.  
  
The Bothan stopped laughing. She stood up, throwing her shoulders back and shoving the Trandoshan. “What was that for?” she asked, growling.  
  
“I don’t know what happened!” the Trandoshan protested. “I swear! It was like someone else moved my hand!”  
  
Ahsoka smirked, resting her elbows on the bar. The Trandoshan caught sight of her expression. “What’s so funny, kid?” he asked.  
  
Ahsoka shrugged with one shoulder. “Nothing,” she said.  
  
“Are you even old enough to be in here?” the Trandoshan said.  
  
The Bothan shoved him again, and said, “Stop trying to change the subject! Why’d you throw your drink at me?”  
  
“I didn’t!” the Trandoshan shouted.  
  
Ahsoka covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. Serve them right, she thought, if they were going to trade in people. She pushed the Bothan forward a little – she stumbled into the Trandoshan, who jumped out of his seat and shoved the Bothan. Ahsoka had to leap out of the way as the Bothan tumbled back into her chair.  
  
“Watch it!” she snapped, as if it hadn’t been her fault.  
  
The Trandoshan took a swing at Ahsoka from behind, and she ducked, saved by her Force-enhanced senses. Instinctively, Ahsoka kicked backwards, her foot making contact with the Trandoshan’s stomach. He went flying, falling onto a table of Devaronians. All of them leapt to their feet, to fight the Trandoshan. Two of them leaped onto him, but he shook them off. He charged the Bothan, but tripped on Ahsoka’s outstretched leg. The Bothan laughed as the Trandoshan fell to the floor.  
  
One of the Devaronians pushed a Twi’lek woman out of the way, and she responded with a solid right hook. The other Devaronians rounded on her, but she had six friends – two Twi’lek, a Weequay, a Togruta, and two Zabrak.  
  
Soon the bar was in chaos. Ahsoka watched, only feeling slightly guilty. Mostly, she was impressed at how quickly the situation had devolved. One Givin came at her with a knife, but she side-stepped, grabbing his wrist and twisting it so he dropped his weapon. Using his momentum, Ahsoka sent him flying, and he hit the floor with a thud. When he got back up, he pretended he couldn’t see her, and slunk away.  
  
When Ahsoka heard the sound of sirens, she knew she had to leave. With one last look at the carnage she’d accidentally caused, she left the bar. Instead of running, she walked away calmly. Police tended not to chase people who didn’t look suspicious.


	5. Chapter 5

Padmé was the first one to notice the police vehicles parked outside the bar. She stopped and said, “What do you think’s happening over there?”  
  
“Nothing good,” said Obi-Wan. Then he headed off towards the scene. Anakin rolled his eyes and hurried after him. Padmé hesitated for a moment, then followed. When they caught up to Obi-Wan, he was reassuring the authorities that he was a Jedi, and could aid them. There was a Twi’lek woman with her arms shackled behind her back, shouting in the face of one of the police officers. Something about accidentally killing a Trandoshan who’d tried to hurt her. None of Anakin’s business, really.  
  
“Obi-Wan,” Anakin muttered, crossing his arms. “What are you doing?”  
  
“My duty,” Obi-Wan answered. Before he could enter the bar, Anakin grabbed his arm.  
  
“Do you want everyone to know we’re down here?” he asked.  
  
“There is no reason we shouldn’t be,” Obi-Wan said, and walked away from Anakin to help the police contain the situation.  
  
Padmé put her hand on Anakin’s arm. “You know he has to do this, Anakin,” she said quietly.  
  
Anakin kissed her on the cheek, then said, “I know. I wish he didn’t.”  
  
Padmé rested her head on Anakin’s shoulder. “He is what he is,” she said.  
  
Farther down the street, Anakin saw a young Togruta. He narrowed his eyes, then shook his head.  
  
“What is it, Anakin?” Padmé asked, looking up at him.  
  
“Nothing,” said Anakin. Then he frowned, “Actually, I thought I saw Ahsoka.”  
  
Padmé raised her eyebrows. “What would she be doing down here?”  
  
“It was probably just someone who looked like her,” Anakin said quietly. He didn’t believe himself – he’d sensed her presence. Still, he didn’t want to get her in trouble. Especially because he’d be the one who had to tell her off. “Come on, we should go help Obi-Wan.” 

***

Once they’d left the scene of the fight, they headed to the diner. Padmé had chosen the location, as it was one of the classier haunts in the Undercity. According to her, they stocked Whyren’s Reserve, as well as serving decent food.  
  
Obi-Wan hadn’t believed Padmé when she’d told him that she liked to drink Corellian whiskey. It was strong, and expensive. She held her alcohol well, considering her size. Anakin liked Pallie wine, although he would gladly drink anything sweet. Obi-Wan enjoyed good wines, tasteful shots, and well-mixed cocktails.  
  
In the diner, they sat together in a booth, Padmé sitting across from her boys. She flagged the waiter and ordered their food, and a non-alcoholic drink for Anakin, their designated pilot.  
  
This was something they did whenever they managed to go out. One of them would order plates to share, and introduce new dishes to the others. Something so simple, yet they rarely got to do it.  
  
It was hard for Anakin to remain in the moment, knowing that it would soon be gone. Soon, he, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka would be sent back to the front lines. Soon, Padmé would have to get back to her work in the Senate. Soon, they would be apart once more.  
  
Nothing would stop the ache in his heart. It dulled to a manageable level when he was with his family, but as soon as things changed, it came back with a vengeance. Padmé and Obi-Wan tried to help him with it. Yet there had been pain in his heart since he was little. He’d wanted his and his mother’s freedom. He’d wanted to save everyone in the Galaxy, and free all the slaves. Then, when he’d joined the order, he had desperately wanted to see his mother again. Now, he was terrified of losing the only things he had left.  
  
Anakin turned his attention back to Padmé and Obi-Wan. “Why did you have to intervene?” he asked, leaning on the table.  
  
“Those people needed my help, Anakin,” Obi-Wan replied. “Just because you can stand by while –”  
  
Padmé interrupted with a cough. “Not here,” she said. “You two can fight when you’re back at the Temple. _I_ was hoping for a nice lunch.”  
  
Anakin reached across the table and squeezed her hand.  
  
“Sorry, Padmé,” Obi-Wan said. “But Anakin –”  
  
Padmé raised her eyebrows at him, and he shut his mouth. Anakin smirked.  
  
“Here’s your drinks,” the waitress said. Anakin leaned back, saying thanks as she put the drinks on the table. When she left, Anakin draped his arm around Obi-Wan’s shoulders.  
  
Obi-Wan smiled, resting his hand on Anakin’s thigh.  
  
Padmé smiled at Anakin and Obi-Wan. “I’m feeling a little left out,” she said.  
  
Anakin got up, sliding into the seat next to Padmé. He put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled, and then Anakin planted little kisses on her neck. “Anakin!” she laughed, swatting him away.  
  
Anakin rested his head on her shoulder, looking up at her with a grin on her face. “You said you were feeling left out.”  
  
Their food came – a dish of spicy stir-fried meat, a plate of strangely coloured noodles in a dark sauce, and a mixed bowl of vegetables that smelled delicious. The waitress had brought three bowls, as well as utensils. She set the plates out in front of them, then left.  
  
Padmé dished out the food, giving them a mix of each meal. Anakin dug into his enthusiastically. Padmé ate hers with the manners she had learned as a Queen and Senator. Anakin had manners – his mother had been big on them – but he really enjoyed eating. It irritated Obi-Wan when Anakin ate messily, which was another reason he did it.  
  
Anakin grinned at Obi-Wan as he slurped his noodles, watching the other man carefully mask his irritation. Padmé slapped Anakin’s hand, saying, “Anakin, don’t torture him.”  
  
“I’m not doing anything, Padmé,” he said with a smile.  
  
Padmé squeezed his shoulder, planting a kiss on his cheek. “Please, don’t start another fight.”  
  
“It’s fine, Padmé,” said Obi-Wan.  
  
“I didn’t come on this date to play mediator between the two of you,” Padmé said, looking from Anakin to Obi-Wan.  
  
Anakin put down his fork and put his hand on her face. He kissed her gently, then turned back to his food. Now he ate politely, keeping his eyes on Obi-Wan. Padmé ran her hand through Anakin’s hair. With Anakin digging into his meal, it was up to Padmé and Obi-Wan to hold a conversation.  
  
“So,” said Obi-Wan. “Padmé. How is work?”


	6. Chapter 6

“Hey kid.”  
  
As Ahsoka turned to look, a rough voiced Dug appeared from the shadows of a back alley. She paused, looking around, then pointed to herself, raising her eyebrows.  
  
“Yeah, you,” said the Dug. “Come here.”  
  
Figuring she could take care of herself if this was a mugging, Ahsoka sauntered over to the Dug.  
  
“What?” she asked.  
  
“You want to make some money?”  
  
Ahsoka raised an eyebrow, and put her hands on her hips. “What?”  
  
“You look like a pilot,” the Dug explained. “Am I right?”  
  
“Yeah,” Ahsoka said.  
  
“I find myself in need of a pilot,” said the Dug. “Mine… got injured. You win a race for me, you get half the credits from the winnings.”  
  
Ahsoka crossed her arms. “Street racing?” she asked incredulously.  
  
“Got a problem with that?” asked the Dug, crossing their arms.  
  
“Actually, I’m interested,” Ahsoka said. The Dug smiled. “What’s your name?” she asked.  
  
The Dug held out a hand for Ahsoka to shake. “Volo Klar,” they said. “And you?”  
  
Ahsoka considered giving a fake name, then decided against it. “Ahsoka,” she said.  
  
“Just Ahsoka?”  
  
“Yep,” she said. “So, where’s this race?”


	7. Chapter 7

“There’s street racing down here,” Anakin said. They had finished their lunch, and it was his turn to choose an activity. “Pod racing, I think. If we can find it –”  
  
“Then I’d have to shut it down, Anakin,” Obi-Wan interrupted. “It’s illegal, you know.”  
  
“Obi-Wan, can’t you just… pretend that you can have fun?”  
  
“Anakin…” there was a warning tone in Padmé’s voice. Anakin looked at her. “Please,” she said.  
  
“Okay,” he sighed. “We won’t watch pod racing, we can do something else.”  
  
“It’s still your choice, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. “Just nothing illegal.”  
  
“You’re no fun,” Anakin said, draping his arms over Obi-Wan’s shoulders. Grinning, he kissed Obi-Wan. “I can’t convince you otherwise?”  
  
Padmé touched Anakin’s shoulder. “We can’t do anything illegal, Anakin. If anyone sees us… that could be bad – for all of us.”  
  
A tad dramatically, Anakin threw back his head and groaned. “I thought dates were supposed to be _fun_ ,” he complained. “Neither of you want to at least _watch_ pod racing? I’m not gonna enter the race.”  
  
“Ani…” Padmé sighed, crossing her arms. “I suppose if you really want to…”  
  
Anakin’s face lit up with a smile.  
  
“No,” said Obi-Wan.  
  
“Is this because you don’t like flying?” Anakin asked, with a cheeky grin.  
  
Obi-Wan pushed Anakin away. “No,” he said again, but with less conviction.  
  
“Because you can be honest with us, Obi-Wan,” Anakin continued, touching Obi-Wan’s cheek. “If you don’t want to watch the race because you’re afraid…”  
  
“Anakin…” said Obi-Wan.  
  
Anakin sighed. “Fine,” he said. Then, “I don’t have a backup plan. If we don’t go to the pod racing then I guess it’s Obi-Wan’s turn to choose.” He looked pointedly at Obi-Wan. “Nothing boring, though,” he added, taking Obi-Wan’s hand in his.  
  
“Obi-Wan? Boring?” Padmé said with a sardonic smile.  
  
Obi-Wan looked between the two of them. “That’s hardly fair,” he said. “I can be fun.”  
  
“Sure you can,” Anakin grinned. He kissed Obi-Wan, then held out his hand to Padmé. As she took his hand, he spun her into a hug, kissing the side of her face. “All right,” he said, looking at Obi-Wan. “What did you want to do?”


	8. Chapter 8

Ahsoka enjoyed flying, but this was _much_ more exciting. It felt safer than regular flying, despite the people trying to knock her into the walls. Probably because she wasn’t being fired at by Separatist forces.  
  
Volo the Dug’s pod was a red-and-black modified speeder with two sleek, conical repulsor engines connected to the cockpit with two solid cables. It handled smoothly, considering it had been cobbled together in an Undercity garage. When Ahsoka had seen it, she’d whistled appreciatively, running her hand along the side of the cockpit.  
  
“Nice, isn’t it?” Volo asked.  
  
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Ahsoka. “How fast can it go?”  
  
The Dug grinned. “As fast as you can fly it.”  
  
Volo hadn’t been lying. Ahsoka had never gone this fast before. It was exhilarating. She was glad the Dug had provided goggles for her, though, because she couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to have wind hitting her eyes at this speed.  
  
Ahsoka had to fly on instinct rather than using her sight. Her Force-senses were highly attuned to flight, and she was leading the race by a lap already. She’d been surprised that in the Undercity of Coruscant there was an underground pod racing arena, one that stretched for miles beneath the streets. There were neon green lights at each mile marker, but Ahsoka flew by them so quickly that they were only brief flashes.  
  
She was going so fast that it almost felt like she wasn’t moving at all. She had to react to things seconds before they happened.  
  
Ahsoka dodged the Geonosian that was on her tail, skimming along the wall to take a sharp corner. She slipped between two pods that lagged behind her by an entire lap. In front of her, the engines fired blue, and she revved the engine, speeding up.  
  
Ahsoka let out a whoop as she crossed the finish line a second time, on to her third lap. Why was this illegal? How could something so much fun be bad?  
  
Yeah, someone had crashed spectacularly in the first lap, impacting on the wall with a billowing explosion that had looked pretty cool. According to Volo, though, people who raced in these tournaments knew the risks. No one was there against their will.  
  
Pushing the engine harder, Ahsoka sped up, overtaking the pod in front of her. She grinned, showing her sharp fangs. Nothing was as thrilling as this – well, maybe fighting. Sparring. Battle wasn’t as much fun.  
  
Ahsoka pulled sharply to the left to dodge around a pod that hadn’t been there before. The back of her cockpit grazed one of its engines. The other pod swerved off to the side, losing control and crashing into the wall. Luckily, this one didn’t explode. She’d only be responsible for their injuries.  
  
One more lap to complete, and Ahsoka would win. In the back of her mind, the part not focused on flying, she wondered what she would do with the credits. Jedi weren’t supposed to own things, but surely there would be something she could spend the credits on without breaking those rules.


	9. Chapter 9

“General Skywalker,” Rex called Anakin over his comm. Anakin stopped walking to answer, holding a finger in the air so that Obi-Wan and Padmé knew to be quiet.  
  
“What is it, Captain?” he responded.  
  
“We can’t… we’ve lost Ahsoka,” he said. “She was supposed to report to a briefing with General Plo and Master Yoda. Is she with you?”  
  
“Uh,” Anakin looked at Padmé and Obi-Wan. Padmé raised an eyebrow, but kept silent. “No,” he said. “No, she’s not. Look, Rex, I’m in the Undercity right now, I can be back at the Temple soon –”  
  
“That’s the thing, Skywalker,” said Rex. “We think she might be down there.” There was a pause. Then, “What… what are you doing in the Undercity if you’re not with Ahsoka?”  
  
“Nothing,” said Anakin. Then, “I’ll keep an eye out for her. I’ll get back to you.”  
  
“Sir, are you sure?” asked Rex. “We can come down and help you look.”  
  
“No,” Anakin responded too quickly. He coughed. “I mean, no. It’s fine. Give me an hour, Rex, and I’ll comm you if I need help.”  
  
There was a chuckle from Rex. “All right, Skywalker,” he said. Anakin could almost hear the Captain’s grin as he added, “Oh, and you wouldn’t happen to know where General Kenobi is…?”  
  
“Goodbye, Rex,” Anakin said, then shut off his comm link.  
  
“Well, that’s no good,” said Obi-Wan.  
  
Anakin glanced at him. “What?”  
  
“If Ahsoka’s down here without permission, you’re going to have to have a talk with her,” he clarified.  
  
“I’m sure she’s got a good reason,” Anakin said. “Come on, where was it you wanted to go?”  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head. “If Ahsoka’s missing, then finding her is our priority.”  
  
“I’m sure she’s _fine_ ,” said Anakin. “I’d be able to sense if she wasn’t, wouldn’t I?”  
  
Obi-Wan pressed his lips together. Before he could argue with Anakin, Padmé took Anakin’s arm in her hands.  
  
“Ani, I think Obi-Wan’s right,” she said. “We have to look for Ahsoka. What if she’s in trouble?”  
  
Anakin huffed. “Fine,” he said. “We’ll go find Ahsoka then. That shouldn't be too hard, should it? And then,” he continued, "We can get back to our _date_."


	10. Chapter 10

Ahsoka raised her fists to the sky, grinning wildly, listening to the roar of the crowd. They were cheering for her. She’d won the pod race, and Volo the Dug stood beside her, holding the winnings. As the cheers died down, Ahsoka turned to the Dug.  
  
“Half the winnings, like I promised,” said Volo. Handing Ahsoka her credits – the Dug provided her with a small bag to carry them – Volo asked, “You ever consider becoming a pod racer, full time?”  
  
Ahsoka grinned. “I wish,” she said. “I’d love to be a pilot. But I’ve got other duties…” With a sigh, she shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Thank you for this. It was fun.”  
  
“You’re walkin’ away from your calling, kid,” said Volo. Shrugging, they added, “But it’s your choice. If you ever wanna get back into this, you know where to find me.” They grinned. “Unless we get busted.”  
  
“I hope you don’t,” said Ahsoka. She shook the Dug’s hand and said, “Thanks.”  
  
Then she left the arena, her ears still ringing with the crowd’s cheers. She was still high on adrenaline, and wanted to do something dangerous. As she wandered down the street, however, she was distracted by a store.  
  
The storefront was set into the side wall of an alleyway. It was lit with a glowing red light that read PELL’S PETS. Some of the lights had gone out, and the last ‘S’ was flickering on and off. The shop looked shady, but intriguing. Of course she was going to check it out.  
  
The door creaked slight, a bell jingling as Ahsoka pushed it open. A green-skinned Gossam, only hip high to Ahsoka, appeared behind the counter as Ahsoka entered the store.  
  
“What do you want?” she snapped. “You got credits?”  
  
The shop was small and dingy. There were cages scattered about, most of them empty. Ahsoka walked past a sad looking monkey-lizard as she made her way to the counter. She frowned. Somewhere near the back, she could hear whining. There might not have been many animals in the store, but the ones that were radiating sadness that almost overwhelmed Ahsoka.  
  
“I got credits,” she said, turning back to face the Gossam. “But that’s not what I’m here for.” She crossed her arms. “Can I see your licenses?”  
  
The Gossam glared at her. “Who do you think you are?”  
  
“Someone who has the authority to shut this place down if you don’t get it into shape,” Ahsoka retorted. “Look at the state of this place! None of these animals are happy!”  
  
“What does it matter that they’re happy?” the Gossam grumbled. “They’re makin money for me. Upper city folk want exotic pets, they know I supply them.”  
  
“That doesn’t seem legal,” Ahsoka said, frowning. “Show me your credentials.”  
  
The Gossam provided all the papers that she needed. Ahsoka read them over carefully, her frown deepening. “How is this allowed?” she asked quietly.  
  
The Gossam shrugged. “Don’t get enough money to keep the shop nice and my family sheltered,” she said. “Of course, upper city types wouldn’t understand that. They wanna buy things from us, but they don’t care how we live.”  
  
“Why don’t you get a different job?”  
  
The Gossam started to laugh. “You’ve never worked, have you, kid?” she asked. Taking the papers back of Ahsoka, she said, “What’s your name?”  
  
“… Riyo,” Ahsoka replied. She’d already used her real name once today, and didn’t want to make it easy for people to find out what she’d been doing. “You?”  
  
“Xan,” said the Gossam. “What do you do, if you don’t work?” she looked Ahsoka up and down. “You’ve got a look about you like you’ve been through some stuff, but you don’t know how the Undercity works, so you’re not from here. Off worlder?”  
  
“Uh…” Ahsoka looked away from Xan. “I don’t really wanna say.”  
  
Xan smiled gently. “I’m not gonna push you to,” she said. Then her smile disappeared. “You can’t really shut my store down, can you?”  
  
Ahsoka pulled an apologetic face. “I know people in the Senate,” she said. “If I tried… I probably could. But… can’t you make this a better place?”  
  
“It’s not that simple,” said Xan. “You say you know people in the Senate?”  
  
Ahsoka nodded.  
  
“Could you get me a job there?”  
  
Ahsoka smiled. “I can definitely try,” she said.


	11. Chapter 11

“This is… Anakin, what is this?”  
  
They stood outside a black door. It was locked shut. Padmé and Obi-Wan stood behind Anakin, who was studying the door, stroking his chin.  
  
“She’s been here,” said Anakin. Without consulting them, he knocked on the door. “Hey!” he shouted. “Ahsoka!”  
  
A disgruntled looking Dug opened the door. “What?” they asked.  
  
“You seen a Togruta kid?” Anakin asked. “She’s about this tall,” he gestured with his hand. “And she’s got blue eyes and markings like these,” he traced the shapes of Ahsoka’s markings on his own face. “Kind of a snippy attitude, wearing red?”  
  
The Dug narrowed their eyes. “Who’s askin?”  
  
“So you’ve seen her,” Anakin said, muscling past the Dug into the room beyond. “Where is – whoa!”  
  
“Get out of there!” the Dug snapped, running after Anakin.  
  
Padmé and Obi-Wan shared a look, then hurried after them both.  
  
“You got a pod racer!” Anakin said excitedly. “This is nice! How fast does it go? How does it handle? Did you build it yourself?”  
  
The Dug raised their eyebrows, crossing their arms. “You like pod racing?” They glanced at Padmé and Obi-Wan. “Wouldn’t have picked you for it.”  
  
“I love racing,” Anakin replied. His attention was focused almost wholly on the pod, ignoring Obi-Wan and Padmé.  
  
“Anakin…” Obi-Wan said, a warning in his tone.  
  
The Dug’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Anakin?” they repeated. “As in Anakin _Skywalker_?”  
  
Anakin turned around, glaring at Obi-Wan before looking at the Dug. “That’s me,” he said.  
  
“You’re the only human to ever have won a pod race,” said the Dug. “The Boonta Eve Classic, 3:4:14.” Holding out a hand, they said, “Name’s Volo. It’s an honour to meet you.”  
  
Anakin laughed. Shaking Volo’s hand, he said, “You too. So there _is_ underground pod racing on Coruscant. I knew it!”  
  
“You were looking for Ahsoka, weren’t you?” said Volo. “She’s a skilled kid. I offered her a full time job as a pilot, but…”  
  
Anakin bit his lip, trying to stop himself from smiling proudly. “Right, yeah, her,” he said. “We need to find her. You know where she is?”  
  
Volo shrugged. “She won the race, and then left,” they replied. “Your guess is as good as mine.”  
  
“Excuse me,” Obi-Wan stepped forward, despite Padmé’s protestations. “Did you say she won the race?”  
  
Volo’s friendly demeanour vanished as they regarded Obi-Wan. “Yeah,” they said.  
  
Obi-Wan said nothing more, but gave Anakin a pointed look.  
  
Anakin grinned at the Dug, then said, “Thanks for your help. Don’t worry – Ahsoka’s not in trouble,” as they left the garage, Anakin added, “Good luck with the racing.”


	12. Chapter 12

“This isn’t working,” said Anakin. “I can’t sense Ahsoka anywhere.”  
  
He had stopped in the middle of the street, looking around to see if Ahsoka was in the crowd. She wasn’t.  
  
“Ani,” said Padmé. “Think for a moment. She’s your Padawan. You must have some idea where she would be. Are there any arcades in the Undercity?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Anakin replied. Scanning the buildings, he said, “Probably, but we can’t search them all ourselves… hang on,” a red sign had caught his eye. He pointed. “I’ll bet you –”  
  
“No bets,” Padmé interrupted. “Not today. You think she’s in there? That… pet store?”  
  
Anakin grinned at Padmé. “Have my instincts ever led me wrong?”  
  
Obi-Wan snorted. Anakin turned around to look at him. “What?” he asked.  
  
“Oh, nothing,” said Obi-Wan. As Anakin headed towards to the store, Padmé walking beside him, Obi-Wan muttered, “Your instincts aren’t _that_ reliable…”  
  
Anakin looked back at him. “I heard that,” he said. Beckoning with his free arm, Anakin said, “Come on, old man, keep up.”  
  
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, but hurried after Anakin, ducking under Anakin’s arm. Anakin draped it around Obi-Wan’s shoulders with a smug smile.


	13. Chapter 13

“Oh!” Ahsoka dropped to her knees in front of a cage. She was in the back room with Xan. The Gossam had put a ‘CLOSED’ sign in the window, and was talking with Ahsoka about what she wanted to do if she got a job in the Senate building. Xan would have to find homes for all the animals she had in stock. The lizard-monkey was on hold, so she’d have to contact the buyer and hurry the sale.  
  
Ahsoka had gotten distracted. She’d found the source of the whining. It was a creature with beetle-black eyes, and a sharp-toothed mouth. The creature was a rusty orange colour, and had a hide that looked solid enough to break a metal knife. It rested in the cage on four legs, its head resting on its clawed feet. She thought it was the most adorable thing she’d ever seen.  
  
“Who’s this?” she asked.  
  
Xan grinned at her. “That’s an akk dog, Riyo,” she said. “His littermates sold quickly – he was the runt.”  
  
“The runt?” Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. “But he’s huge!” He was half her size, and bulky.  
  
“They get bigger,” said Xan. “Much bigger.”  
  
Ahsoka weighed her credits in her hand. She bit her lip. Then she said, “I’ll take him.”  
  
Xan looked at her in surprise. “Are… you sure?”  
  
Ahsoka nodded. “I can take care of him,” she said. “And it’ll help if you have some credits, won’t it?”  
  
Xan’s face broke into a smile. “Sure, you can take him,” she said. As Ahsoka handed her the credits, she added, “But you’ll still talk to your Senate friends for me, won’t you?”  
  
“Your Senate friends?”  
  
Ahsoka jumped to her feet, turning on the spot. “Anakin!”  
  
Anakin stood in the doorway of the back room. There were two people behind him, but the lighting was bad and Ahsoka couldn’t see who they were.  
  
“How did you get in here?” Xan stepped protectively in front of Ahsoka. Glaring at Anakin, she continued, “Who are you? I paid my protection, you can’t just muscle in here –”  
  
“Who is this?” Anakin spoke over Xan’s head, directly to Ahsoka. “What are you doing in here?”  
  
Ahsoka set her jaw. “This is Xan,” she said. “She’s my friend. And this,” she gestured to the caged akk dog, “Is my pet akk dog.”  
  
Anakin’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Then, he burst out laughing. Ahsoka smiled, relieved. Xan looked between them, confused.  
  
“Who is this man? Who are the people with him?”  
  
“This is Anakin,” said Ahsoka. “A… friend.”  
  
“Ahsoka, the Temple noticed you were missing,” said Anakin, walking forward. “If we don’t get back soon they’ll send the clone troopers after you.”  
  
Ahsoka frowned. “Well, that’s not fair,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “Why are _you_ down here? And with – Senator Amidala? Master Kenobi?” Ahsoka looked from them to Anakin, a smug smile on her lips. “You weren’t supposed to be down here either, were you?”  
  
“Ahsoka…” Anakin warned.  
  
Xan looked at Ahsoka. “Senator Amidala?” she said. “Is she your friend?”  
  
Padmé stepped forward, to shake the Gossam’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said. “Any friend of Ahsoka’s is a friend of ours.”  
  
“Why do they keep calling you Ahsoka?” Xan asked. Ahsoka smiled, half-shrugging. Xan shook her head. “Never mind, then,” she said. “Senator Amidala, a pleasure. Are you able to help me with something?”  
  
Padmé nodded, and Xan took her aside to speak with her.  
  
“Ahsoka,” now Obi-Wan joined them, a disapproving look on his face. Ahsoka’s smile vanished.  
  
Anakin put a hand out to stop Obi-Wan. “She’s my Padawan, Obi-Wan,” he said. “Let me deal with this.”  
  
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. “Let you deal with it?” he said. “And let you praise her for winning an _illegal_ pod race?”  
  
Anakin shifted his weight from one side to the other. “No,” he said. “Just… Obi-Wan, just trust me, okay?”  
  
Obi-Wan sighed. “I do,” he said. “But Anakin, you can’t allow her to keep the akk dog.”  
  
“Yes, _Master_ ,” Anakin said sarcastically. Obi-Wan gave him a pointed look, but didn’t respond. Turning to Ahsoka, Anakin said, “Come on, Snips. Let’s talk outside.”  
  
She followed him out of the store with dread growing in her stomach. Of course there were consequences for her actions. At least it wasn’t Master Kenobi giving her a talking to.  
  
As soon as they were outside, Anakin put a hand on Ahsoka’s shoulder. “Snips,” he said. “You won a pod race!” He was grinning. Pulling her into a hug, he said, “I’m so proud of you!”  
  
Ahsoka laughed, returning the hug. This was far better than being lectured. When Anakin let go of her, she looked up at him. “You’re not angry?”  
  
He shrugged. “How could I be?” he asked. “I mean, that was definitely illegal and you shouldn’t be down here in the first place, but… you won a pod race!”  
  
“Why does that make a difference?”  
  
His face fell a little as he answered. “I used to be a pod racer,” he said. “Before I was brought to the Temple. First and only human to ever win a race.”  
  
Ahsoka frowned. “Weren’t you nine –”  
  
“Anyway,” said Anakin. “You need to go back to the Temple before they send people out looking for you.” He narrowed his eyes. “Did you take my speeder to get here?”  
  
“How did you know?” she asked.  
  
“I saw it,” he said. “And… if I’m not mistaken I think I saw you walking away from a bar fight. You wouldn’t have had anything to do with that, would you?”  
  
Ahsoka tried to look as innocent as possible. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said.  
  
“If you say so,” said Anakin. “All right, then. We need to leave.”  
  
“But I have to help Xan,” said Ahsoka. “She needs a better job so that she doesn’t have to sell these animals anymore. I said I’d help her and I’m going to keep my word.”


	14. Chapter 14

As they went back inside the store, Xan ran over to them and took Ahsoka’s hands in hers. “Riyo – Ahsoka – whatever your name is,” the Gossam said excitedly. “Thank you so much! Your friend, Senator Amidala, she has agreed to let me work for her. And she said she might know where she can find homes for the other creatures in my store.”  
  
Padmé was smiling kindly as she followed the Gossam. Obi-Wan’s face was carefully blank. Anakin grinned at him, one hand on Ahsoka’s shoulder.  
  
“Well, that’s sorted then,” he said, looking at Ahsoka. “You’ve done what you promised to do, Snips. Let’s go –”  
  
“Hang on!” Xan said. She rushed out the back, and a few seconds later reappeared, pulled along by the akk dog. “Here! You paid for him, you get to keep him.”  
  
She handed the leash to Ahsoka, who grinned. Refusing to look at Anakin or Obi-Wan, Ahsoka left the store, and Padmé went after her after saying she’d see Xan soon. With a sigh, Obi-Wan followed them. Anakin thanked Xan, then left the store, catching up to Obi-Wan and hooking his arm around Obi-Wan’s waist. Planting a kiss on the other man’s cheek, he said, “Why are you so upset?”  
  
“Did you explain to Ahsoka why her actions today were not befitting of a Jedi?” Obi-Wan asked.  
  
Anakin stopped, turning around to face Obi-Wan. He rested his hands on Obi-Wan’s hips, grinning. “Oh?” he said. “Her actions?” He pulled Obi-Wan into a long, hungry kiss that left Obi-Wan stunned. As Anakin pulled away, Obi-Wan was lost for words, his mouth hanging slightly open as he gazed at Anakin dazedly.  
  
“I knew it!”  
  
Anakin turned around to look at Ahsoka, who was standing behind him. She was grinning triumphantly, her akk dog sitting placidly by her side. Padmé, standing on the other side of Ahsoka, raised her eyebrows at Anakin. “Really, Ani?” she said.  
  
Obi-Wan cleared his throat. “You didn’t see anything, Ahsoka,” he said.  
  
“Sure I didn’t,” she replied. “So how long has this been going on?”  
  
Padmé laughed. Putting her arm around Ahsoka, she said, “You’re not to tell anyone, all right?”  
  
Ahsoka gave her a pointed look. “Padmé, of course I’m not going to tell anyone. I’m just… curious. Like, I sort of knew anyway, but now I _know_ , and this is like, a good thing, but also you guys can’t tell anyone, and that must be really hard.”  
  
By this time Anakin and Obi-Wan were standing with them. Anakin took Ahsoka’s hand and squeezed it gently. “It is hard,” he said. “But I’m glad you know. I wanted to tell you, actually, but… we thought it would be better if no one knew. Then you wouldn’t have to lie for us.”  
  
Ahsoka regarded him, surprise in her eyes. “You… wanted to tell me?” she asked.  
  
Anakin nodded. “Of course,” he said. “You’re my Padawan. You’re a part of this family.”  
  
Ahsoka dropped her akk dog’s leash and threw her arms around Anakin. The akk dog seemed content to sit where it was, watching Ahsoka. She had tears in her eyes, as she squeezed Anakin tightly. He returned the hug, patting her on the back.  
  
When she pulled away, she said, “I… I know it’s not the Jedi way,” she frowned and bit her lip. “But… I’m glad that we’re family.” Her frown deepened as she added, “I… I love you,” she glanced at Padmé, then Obi-Wan, then back to Anakin. “All three of you. I thought, maybe, I was just being silly and I told myself that I shouldn’t and that it wasn’t proper and it made me a bad Jedi, but if… if you’re all… _this_ ,” she gestured vaguely. “Then… that’s okay. For me. Right?” she looked at Anakin for the answer.  
  
He nodded. “It’s okay,” he said.  
  
Padmé linked arms with Ahsoka. “Come on, then,” she said. “We should get back. I know that people are going to start wondering where I am soon, and you three have to get back to the Temple.”  
  
“You can’t bring the akk dog,” Obi-Wan said, as Ahsoka picked up its leash.  
  
She gave him a defiant look. Then she sighed. “It’s just temporary,” she said, resignedly. “I know I can’t bring him into battle or anything with me.”  
  
Padmé looked down at the dog, and said, “You know, my sister Sola was looking for a pet. He seems friendly enough.” Glancing at Anakin, she asked, “Do you think the kids would like an akk dog?”  
  
Anakin grinned. “I’m sure they’d love one.”


	15. Chapter 15

Back at the Temple, Anakin helped Ahsoka sneak the akk dog to the clone’s barracks. None of the clones would rat her out. Hardcase was the first one to approach them, regarding the akk dog with his hands on his hips.  
  
“What’re you gonna call it?” he asked.  
  
Ahsoka thought about it for a moment, then said, “I don’t actually know.”  
  
“Well, we’re pretty good at naming things,” said Tup. Turning back to the other clones, he said, “You lot got any ideas?”  
  
“Call it Jesse Junior,” Echo called, from the other side of the room. Jesse punched him on the arm as the other men laughed.  
  
“What about Chomper?” Hardcase said.  
  
“Smiles!” Waxer called.  
  
“Handsome,” Tup said with a grin.  
  
“Call it Wolffe,” Comet said, with a sideways look at Commander Wolffe.  
  
Wolffe gave him a pointed look, and Comet grinned.  
  
“Lucky?” suggested Boil.  
  
Rex came over to them, and studied at the akk dog. “What about Trouble?” he said. Looking at Ahsoka, he added, “Because it’s going to be a lot of trouble for you if the Jedi find out.”  
  
Ahsoka grinned at him. “Excellent suggestion, Captain,” she said. He smiled.  
  
“So you’re naming it after yourself?” Anakin said. Ahsoka elbowed him.  
  
“You can leave it with us,” said Rex. “But we won’t be able to keep it for long.”  
  
“I know,” said Ahsoka, wrinkling her nose. “Senator Amidala told me that her sister might be able to take him.”  
  
Rex raised an eyebrow, looking at Anakin, but said, “That’s handy.”  
  
Anakin smiled crookedly at him. “All right, snips,” he said. “Let’s get back. Plo and Yoda wanted to speak to you.”  
  
“Oh, great,” Ahsoka said, shoulders slumping. “I’m gonna get in trouble, aren’t I?”  
  
“I’ll… think of something,” Anakin said. Turning his attention back to the men, he said, “Thanks for this.”  
  
“It’s no trouble,” Rex said with a grin.  
  
Ahsoka rolled her eyes at him, smiling. Anakin put a hand on her shoulder, and said, “We gotta go.”  
  
They left the akk dog with the clone troopers, and headed to the Temple.


End file.
